Fastener driving machine



June 19, 19 45. J; PAUL 2,378,725

FASTENER DRIVING- MACHINE Filed April 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,JOHN A. PAUL,

June 19; 1945 J. A. PAUL I I FASTENER DRIVING MACHINE Filed April 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I J H I v it Jim JOHN A. PAUL I portion of. the base Patented June 19, 1945 I I I FASTENER- DRIVI NGMACHINE' John A. Pault Norwalk, Conn., assignor to The E. -H."Hotchkiss Compan INorwalk, Conn, a corporation of' Connecticut 7 ApplicationApril 14, 1944, Serial No. 531,074 '9 CIaims. (Cl. 1 3) This-invention relates to fastener driving machines moreparticularly to the typeiof machine for drivingsubstanti'ally U shaped-staples I or fasteners, and has for anobject to provide a construction and arrangement 'whereby the same machine may be .used for driving the vfastener or staples as a.so-calledffstapler? in which the prongs of the fastener or'staple are bent 'over and clinched as the fastener is'driven; or it may bev used as; a so-calledtacker in which the prongs of the staple are driven into a work member without clinching;

It is also an object of the-invention'to provide a. construction and arrangement whereby through I I .I' In these drawings:

Fig.1 is a side elevation of one form-of the device; parts beingbroken away to more clearly show the construction and showingthe part position forthe device to be usedas a sci-called stapler; I

Fig. 2 isa top plan view of the base portion of thedevice of Fig. 1 with the housing removed;

Fig. 3is a side elevationpf.the'housing and a sectionof the base showing the for use asaso-calledtacker; v

Fig. 1.15 aside elevation showing a modified construction; I v 1 Fig.5 is a similar view showing a further modir fication but with'the parts broken away; I

' Fig.6 isatop plan view of the forward end I showing vanothermodified arrangement; f

parts in position standing-lugs, l4 struck up from' the base.

Mounted in the housing I? i a suitabletype of means for driving the fasteners, in the present case substantially U-shaped staples l5 inserted inthe machine as strips comprising av plurality of attached staples upon a supporting guide l6 upon which they are advanced by suitable feed mech-,

anism (not shown) in succession to a guideway l! I adjacent the forward end of the devicein which Fig. '7 is a section substantially on the line T-"l of Fig. 6 and on an enlarged scale;

Fig.8 is atop plan view of the forward end of the base showing another modification;

Fig. 9" is a detail section on an enlarged scale takensubstantially on line 99 of 'Fig. 8, and I -Figh 10 is a' top plan view of the forward end portionof the base member showing still another modification.

Referring 'firstto Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the device comprises a base memberand a housing [2 mounted on the base member byany suitable means such as apivot pin l 3 passing through upthere is a vertically reciprocable driver or plunger I8 adapted to drive the forward fastener or staple I9 throughthe guideway l1 into one or mo'r'ework pieces placed under the forward end of the .housing. The driveror plunger 18 is operated by a suitable means such as a hand operated lever 20 connected to this driver at 21 and normally held I inits upper position-by a spring means .(not

shown), By depressing the lever 20I through pressureon the top thereof the driver. or plunger I8. forces it downwardly to drive the staple or fastener 19 into the work. in a manner well known. This operation may also force the forward end of thehousing downwardly so that it rests'on top of the work pieces during the fastener driving operation. The housin and driving mechanismshown is substantially that illustrated in the patent to Polzer et al. No. 2,240,911, May 6, 1941, for Staple driving machine.

fWhen" the staples 0r fasteners are ,driven'and the prongs folded over on the under side of the workpieces after being driven throughthese pieces the machine is operated as what'is called I a stapler. For the purpose of folding over and clinching the prongs an anvil is mounted in alignment with the staple guideway l1 and cooperates with the driver to clinch the prongs. In the present instancethis anvil comprises a plate 22 mounted on the base H1 under the forward end of thehousing I 2. This anvil is provided with means for folding over and clinching the fastener prongs and in the present instance comprises two sets of:

recesses 23 and' 24. -The recesses 23 arearv sired. Various ways may be used for mounting.

I this anvil, but in the arrangement illustrated the base is provided with a pair of elongated slots 25 extending longitudinally thereof and a pin 26 carried by the anvil passes through each slot with'a spring 21 on the underside thereof acting between a head 28 and a washer 29 to provide suflicient friction to retain the anvil in difierent adjusted positions but to permit it to be readilyshifted. Indicating means (not shown) may be provided to indicate to the operator when the anvil is in proper position to bring the twosets of recesses into proper stapling position. Resilient means, such for example as spring 30 or rubber 3| may be provided to normally hold the forward.

end of the housing elevated in the position of Fig. 1.

As above indicated, the device is so constructed and arranged that it may be employed as a 50-.

called tacker in which the lower .part of the housing is brought into direct contact with .the

work, but the prongs of the staple or other fastener are driven into the work without zfolding 12 to move down through it into contact with the .work piece 32jon which the base may be resting, as shown .in Fig. 3. is used as a stapler to clinch the prongs of the fastener, the anvil 22 lies under the forward end portion of the housing and prevents this operation, the anvil operating to support the pieces beingstapled and also to support the forward end 1 of the housing. However, the slots" 25 in the base aremade of suflicient length so that the anvil 22 may be shiftedfrom its clinching position underthe housingto permit the housing to pass through the opening 34. It'Will be seen that in Fig. 2 this anvil while in ,theclinching position under the forward end of the hensing lies over the forward end portion oi the opening34. "However. in Fig. 3 it'has been shifted forwardly from its position under thehousing and ..therefore .the housing is free to move through .the opening'34 to the so-called tacking position without interference from the anvil, and

When the device out of position if desired, but the ears 3! are each provided with an elongated slot 38 in which the pin 39 carried by the housing may slide. It will be seen that when this pin is in the forward end of the slot the fastener driving mechanism in the forward end of the housing is over the anvil 36 and the anvil will cooperate therewith clinching the prongs of the staple, but the slots are of such a length that when :the' pin 39 is in the rear end thereof, which is accomplished by sliding the housing longitudinally, the forward .end of the housing is removed fromv its position .:ihg position.

Awsomewhat similar arrangement is shown in Fig. -5, except that .in this case the elongated slot .of the base.

40 is in the housing l2 and the pivot pin 4| passing through. this slot is mounted in the ears 3'! This permits the housing to be shifted to bring the forward end portion thereof carrying'the fastener driving means to its position over the anvil 36 to permit this anvil to cooperate with'this mechanism to clinch the staples when the pivot pin 4| is in the rear'end of the slot, or the housing may be shifted backwardly to bring the pivot pin 'intothe forward end of the slot and carry -the'forward end of the housing rearwardly from its position over the anvil so that it -may pass downwardly through the opening 34 in the base to the tacking position.

In Figs. 6 to 10 are illustrated examples of other --means for mounting the anvil so that it maybe removed from the stapling or clinching position and permit the housing to move through the openingin the base to the position for use as a tacker.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the anvil with the clinching-recesses 23 is provided with studs or pins 43 passing throughopenings inthe top of the base as indicated the staple or fastener may then be driven directly into the work without clinching the prongs.

Various means may be employed for permitting relative move'mentbetween the housing and the anvil .to efiect removal of the anvil from the clinching position and-permit the housing to move to the tacking position. This may be done either .by so mounting the anvil that it may be shifted from the clinching position to free the housing. and permit itlto move to the tacking position, examples of which are shown in Figs. 1, 2 and '3 and also in Figs. 6 to 1 0; or the housing may be so connected .to thepbase that it may e shifted relative to the base to carry the forward end away from its position over the anvil, or the base carrying the anvil 'may be shifted relative to the housing to secure the same result. Examples of the last two arrangements are shown in'Figs. 4 and 5.

In Fig. 4 the base. 3.5v corresponding to the base I l is provided with an elongated opening 34, the same as the base ll, through which the forward end portion of the housing 12 may pass to the tacking position, as shown in Fig. 3. The anvil 36 may be mounted in an immovable position on the base or it could be mounted to beshifted ll. These studs are reduced at 44 at the under sideof the top wall of the'base to receive a catch member 45 pivoted at 46 to the-underside of the top Wall of the base.- This catch is provided with recesses 41 leading from .one side edge thereof adapted to embrace the reduced portion 4401? the studs and thus secure the'anvil to the base. By swinging this catch member 45 to the left-or counterclockwise'asviewedinFig. 6 the studs are released and the anvil may be removed from the base, which of course removes the anvil from its position over the forward portion of the opening 34 in the base so that the housing l2 may move through this opening to the tacking position of Fig. 3. The anvil in the position of Figs.6 and '7 brings the recesses 23 in alignment with the fastener driving'mechanism in the housing so that it may cooperate therewith" to clinch the. prongs of. the fastener. The anvil in this position also supports the forward end of the housing I 2 so it'cannot pass through the opening .34 in the base to the tacking position.

In Figs. 8 and!) is shown still another. means for mounting the anvil. The anvil 48 has extensions 49 forming pintles hinged .to thetcp wall of the base H. This part'of the hinge may be made in different ways but as shown the top wall of the base is cut and a portion of the {wall is forced upwardly to form a loop 50 to receive the pintle extension 49 and hinge the ,anvil' to the base. In the position of Fig. 8 the anvil lies over the forward end portion of the opening 34 in the base with the recesses 23 inalignment with removing it from its position over the opening 3'4 and also removing it from its position under the housing i 2 so that the housingis free to move through the opening 34 to the tacking'position of Fig. 3, permitting the machine to be used as a tacker. v

In Fig. 10 the anvil provided with clinching recesses 23 is also mounted over theforward end of the opening 34 in the base II but is pivoted at oneend by a rivet or similar means 52 to the base so that it may be swung to and from the stapling position. When in the full line position the clinching recesses 23 are in alignment with the fastener driving mechanism in the housing l2 So as to cooperate therewith to clinch the prongs of the fastener and the anvil also prevents the housing passing'through the opening 34 to the tacking position. By merely swinging the anvil to the left about the pivot 52 to the dotted line position it is removed from its position over the opening 34 in the base and also from its position under the forward end of the housing l2, so that the housing is free to move through the opening 34 to the tacking position of Fig. 3.

It will be seen from the above that the device is a very simple construction involving a mini-' mum number of parts and that it may be by a simple operation changed from a stapler to a opening in the base to the tacking position where it may be used to drive the fasteners, such for example as U-shaped staples, directly into the work piece without clinching. In other words, it provides a construction in which the same device and same mechanism may be used either as a so-called stapler or a so-called tacker and may be quickly and easily changed from its adaptability for one operation to the other.

Having thus set forth'the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. A fastener driving machine comprising a base, a housing pivoted adjacent its rear end to the base, means at the forward end of the housing for driving a pronged fastener, an anvil on the base under said driving means including means to cooperate .with the driving means to clinch the prongs of the driven fastener, said base being provided with an elongated opening "of a size and shape to permit the forward end portion of the housing to pass therethroughto engagement with a work member under the base to permit driving of a fastener into said member, and the housing and anvil being so mounted that one of them may be shifted relative to the other so that the anvil is away from its position under the housing to permit the housing to pass through said openv with a work piece through the opening in the CJI a-housing, means atone end 'ofthe h'ousing for driving. a pronged fastener, means 'adjacent'the other end of the housing pivotally connecting the housing to the base in amanner to permit Y the housing to move-between a fastener driving position above the base and a second position through the opening to engage a work piece un'der the base to drive a fastener therein; an anvil mountedlon the base in position to cooperate with the driving means in the first position of the housing to clinch the prongs of a driven fas tener, and the housing and anvil being so mounted thatone of them'may be shifted relative to the other to permit the housing to be shifted to the second driving position.

3.-A fastener driving machine comprising'a base provided with an opening therein, a housing mounted on the base, means in the housing for driving a pronged fastener, said housing being so mounted that it is adapted to assumea position to act as a staplerto clinch the prongs of a fastener and a second position in'en'gagement base to act as a tacker and drive a fastener into the work piece without clinching, an anvil in position to cooperate with the driving means while the housing is in the first position to clinch the prongs, and the anvil and the housing being so mounted that one of them may be shifted relative to the other so that the anvil is out of stapling position to permit the housing to move to tacking position.

4. A fastener driving machine comprising a base, a housing mounted on the base, means adjacent one end of the housing for driving a pronged fastener, said base being provided with an opening adapted to permit said latter end of the housing to pass throughto engage a work piece under the base, means mounting the housing to permit it to move between a stapling position above the base and a tacking position in said opening, an anvil on the base adapted to cooperate with the driving means to clinch a fastener when the housing is in stapling position, and the housing and anvil being so mounted that one of them may be shifted relative to theother to retain the housing in stapling position or allow it to move to tacking position.

5. A fastener driving machine comprising a housing, means in the housing for driving the prongs of a fastener into a work piece, an anvil provided with means adapted to cooperate with the driving means to clinch the prongs of a fastener as they are beingdriven-through a work piece between the housing and the anvil, and means for mounting the anvil so that it may be shifted from the clinching position to permit the housingto assume a tacking position against a work piece and allow the driving means to drive the fastener prongs into the latter work piece without clinching.

6. A fastener driving machine comprising a base provided with an elongated opening, a housing mounted on the base and movable from a stapling position over said opening to a tacking position in the opening, means in the housing for driving a pronged fastener while the housing is in either position, an anvil adapted to cooperate with thedriving means to clinch the prongs of the fastener when the housing is in the stapling position, and means for mounting the anvil so that it may be shifted from the stapling position to permit the housing to move to the tacking position.

7. A fastener driving machine comprising a base provided avithan. elongated opening,- a. 'housl ingg mpuntedron the base-and movable fromeaz' staplingpositionyover saidopeningto a ,vtackingposition in the opening: in engagement" with a; workpiece-under the base; means inthe: housing.

for-;drivingl ,aepronged fastener while the-housing isA-in" eithenposition, ananvil mounted :on the' baSB'rOVBI said opening in position to, cooperate with'tthe driving-(means to clinch the: prongs of the, fastener when the housingis in the staplingpositions and wmeans for mounting the anvil sothat ;it. may be shifted from the; stapling position and permit the: housing to move into-theopening tothe tacking; position;

8. A fastener driving. machinecomprisingi a base provided with an elongated opening,a housing mountedronthe base, means pivotally securving; the zhousingto the baseadjacentone; end arrangeduto permit the housing to move s from a stapling-position above the base toa tackingpositiomin-s. the opening, meansadjacent the, other end of: the housing for. drivingsa, prongedfastener while ,-the:-housing:is ineither position; an anvil mounted on vthe base-in position. to cooperate with the drivingl'means to clinch the prongs of the fastener whenvthe housing is in the stapling posi-, tion, and said pivot means including an elongated slot arranged topermit longitudinal sliding movement between the housing and base to allow the housing to be shifted away from the anvil so it may move to the tacking position in the open mg. l v

9. A-fastener driving machine comprising a base provided with an elongated opening,a housingmounted on the base and movablefrom a stapling position over said opening to a tacking, position in the opening, means in the housing for driving aupronged fastenerwhile the housing is in; either position, an-anvil adapted-to cooperate with the driving means to clinch the prongs of .theifastenerlwhen the housingis in the stapling position, and said anvil and housing being;

so mounted that one of them may be shifted rela tive to the other to permit the housing to move to the tacking position.

JOHN A; PAUL. 

